Book 1 Chapter 491

491.

"King of the Dead. Why have you come to such ruins?"

The woman standing beside Hel Kaiser, the King of the Dead, bowed her head and asked.

The Queen of Blood. Eljenie, she was one of the Legion Commanders of Tartarus.

"This is the tomb of Kinesis, a Legion Commander who was called the Queen of Mirrors a long time ago."

It was none other than Artkhan, the Grand Duke of Dirges, who answered Eljenie's question.

Eljenie glared at Artkhan.

Even if Artkhan was a great demon who had lived for 5000 years, he was a trusted subordinate of a Legion Commander.

Eljenie's status as a demon was higher.

But Eljenie felt a great threat from Artkhan.

It wasn't just Eljenie.

All the Legion Commanders of Tartarus currently regarded Artkhan with caution.

Even if they were all Legion Commanders, not everyone was on equal footing.

The three Legion Commanders who had lived since the Age of Calamity.

The King of the Dead, the Monster Queen, and the Giant King, were literally on a different level.

And Eljenie was a trusted subordinate of Shilathuna, the Monster Queen.

Until she rose to the position of Legion Commander as her subordinate, she had no great worries.

But when Shilathuna fell, her standing within Tartarus began to waver.

No Legion Commander was unaware of the fact that the King of the Dead, the current de facto ruler of Tartarus, was not fond of the later Legion Commanders.

'It wouldn't be strange if an incompetent Legion Commander were purged at any time. If that happens, there's a high probability that he'll take our place.'

If Artkhan hadn't been excessively competent, he might have already risen to the position of Legion Commander.

It was when Eljenie bit her lip.

"The Queen of Mirrors, Kinesis, was subdued by Luna at this very place 5000 years ago."

The King of the Dead murmured calmly.

"I will need the grave soil of one who was the object of resentment."

"I will go to the tomb of the Progenitor of the Nebula."

"No, I will go, Your Majesty, King of the Dead."

Eljenie stepped forward and knelt.

"Please, give me the command."

"If you wish, you may go. Queen of Blood."

"Yes, I will not disappoint you."

***

'What was that just now?'

Leo, who had cleaned up the copious bloodstains, wore a serious expression.

The distinct pain and smell of blood confirmed that it was neither an illusion nor a hallucination.

'Is it related to dreams?'

He recalled the dream he had just had.

The content of the dream was unforgettable.

'Because it wasn't a simple dream.'

It was something that had happened here 5000 years ago.

The three great heroes, who had lost Arion and Dweno, fought a decisive battle with Erebus here.

'And… they lost.'

In the end, it wasn't a defeat.

Just as the great heroes couldn't defeat Erebus.

Erebus also couldn't annihilate the great heroes.

On the contrary, Erebus also suffered a great blow and retreated.

It was the same with Arion and Dweno.

Possessing immortality didn't mean they couldn't be wounded.

The wounds Arion and Dweno inflicted on Erebus at the cost of their lives definitely paved the way for the remaining great heroes.

The five fierce battles during the final journey.

All of them were crucial steps for the subjugation of Erebus.

Despite this, the reason Leo considered the previous four battles a defeat was because he had lost his comrades.

Leo took a deep breath.

'The dream wasn't from my perspective, but Luna's.'

Leo recalled the third battle.

Leo, having inherited Arion's aura and Dweno's flames, played the role of single-handedly blocking Erebus at the forefront.

Leo closed his eyes and recalled 5000 years ago.

'We buried Dweno and moved east. And then.'

It was during a break before the third battle.

'…Let's definitely win. Let's definitely win and survive.'

Luna said, as if making a vow.

'The three of us will fulfill Arion's and Dweno's dreams. Let's live hard for both of them.'

When Arion closed his eyes, Luna cried until she fainted.

When Dweno left, Luna didn't cry.

She suppressed her emotions and merely burned with killing intent towards Erebus.

'Just before embarking on the final expedition, our thoughts were all different.'

Arion feared his friends dying.

Dweno resolved to sacrifice himself in place of others.

Lishinas vowed to save the world, no matter what sacrifices were made.

'I was prepared for failure.'

Leo's eyes darkened.

When everyone was prepared for sacrifice.

Luna was the only one among the five who believed that no one would die.

Luna's optimistic personality played a part, but even before that, Luna probably couldn't have imagined it.

'That even one of the five would be gone.'

Though their species were different, they were family after all.

She couldn't have tolerated losing even one person.

'Let's create a happy world that Arion wished for for the children… Let's create a beautiful world full of what Dweno tried to achieve. So… let's definitely be happy.'

These were the words Dweno left for Luna in his final moments.

To Lishinas, he left words of trust, and to Kyle, he left words to move forward.

And to Luna, he left words to be happy.

Luna and Dweno, who bickered the most in the party.

Their species were fundamentally incompatible, and their personalities and pursuits were different.

Nevertheless, they were also the closest drinking buddies.

'It was like a nephew and an uncle.'

That's why Dweno was genuinely worried about Luna, who couldn't bring herself to part with someone.

Luna, who smiled at him and Lishinas, saying "Let's be happy."

That was the last sincere smile Luna had worn.

The third decisive battle began.

Erebus's appearance was different from before.

The colossal primordial evil transformed into the size of an ordinary human and appeared before the three.

The sudden change in the demon's appearance.

The three could tell who it was wary of to take such a form.

'He was most wary of Luna's magic.'

At that time, Luna's magic was lethal even to a divine being like Erebus.

Although it was impossible to kill the immortal Erebus because her magic did not possess the characteristics of pure mana, if he had directly taken a hit from Luna's magic and then tried to fight her.

'He would have been finished.'

So, he reduced his size to lessen the target.

The battle began, and Erebus persistently targeted Luna.

'But Luna was a genius beyond Erebus's expectations.'

Luna modified the magic spell of doom, which threatened Erebus, into personal magic during the battle.

As a result, Erebus succeeded in inflicting a fatal wound on Luna, but he also suffered a severe blow from Luna's magic.

Afterward, to defeat Erebus, who had returned to his original form, Leo confronted him alone.

'I should have defeated him then.'

Leo's face twisted as he recalled that time.

Leo failed to stop Erebus alone.

Instead, he suffered a fatal wound.

As Lishinas single-handedly fought Erebus in place of the two injured people.

Luna looked at Leo and smiled, as if to reassure him.

Though it was called a smile, when he saw her distorted face on the verge of tears, he instinctively knew.

That Luna, too, was entrusting him and leaving.

'Hey…!'

'Kyle…'

'Don't.'

'If one of us has to live… you know it's right for you, who carries Arion and Dweno, to remain, don't you?'

'I said don't! You damn bitch!'

'This is the best option. You would have done the same if you were me.'

'No…! No!'

'Sorry for pushing it all on you too.'

Recalling the past, Leo looked down at his hand.

'Could this dream be related to Spirit Summoning magic?'

He had heard from Lishinas.

That sometimes one dreams of what a spirit experienced.

'There are times when things experienced in a dream feel real.'

But that doesn't mean injuries sustained in a dream appear in reality.

'And… is it even possible for Luna's spirit to remain?'

Leo wore a serious expression.

It was an event from 5000 years ago.

A spirit is an existence with lingering attachments to the world.

And Leo didn't think his comrades would have left any attachments to this world.

Although they closed their eyes without seeing the world saved, they believed.

That their remaining friends would save the world.

And in fact, the world was saved.

With this, their comrades' biggest wish was fulfilled.

'If that dream was Spirit Summoning magic… did Luna have some other worry?'

It was when Leo was making a serious expression.

Knock- Creak-

"Young Master Leo, are you awake?"

With a knock, the door opened carefully, and Chen Shia poked her head in.

"I'm awake."

"Yes. Please have your meal."

"Alright."

He had woken up at dawn, but it was already morning.

"What are you planning to do today?"

As Chen Shia stood beside Leo, who had come out of the room, and asked, Leo said calmly.

"I have something to find."

"Something to find?"

"Yes."

"What are you looking for?"

To Chen Shia's puzzled question, Leo answered curtly.

"A tomb."

***

After eating breakfast, Leo immediately went deep into the forest.

"Master Leo. Miss Shia mentioned you're looking for a tomb. Whose tomb are you looking for?"

"Luna's tomb."

"Ah, Lady Luna… Huh?"

Eiran, who had nodded as if understanding, widened her eyes.

And she parted her lips.

"L-Lady Luna?"

"That's right. This area is where Luna died."

"O-Oh my god!"

Eiran's eyes widened.

Seeing the surprised Eiran, Leo put his index finger to his lips.

Eiran hastily covered her mouth.

"What secret are you talking about so entertainingly?"

Chen Shia, approaching from a distance, looked puzzled.

"It's nothing important."

He couldn't tell Chen Shia, who didn't yet know Leo's true identity, about Luna's tomb.

Thus, the three began searching for the tomb in the forest.

"You don't know the exact location?"

"I don't know that much."

Leo answered Chen Shia's question calmly.

'There's a high probability that the tomb's form won't remain.'

Around noon, when the sun was high in the sky.

Leo's eyes twitched as he thought about Luna's tomb.

"Young Master Leo?"

It was when Chen Shia looked at Leo, whose mood had suddenly changed, with a puzzled expression.

"Are these hero candidates? Why are these wet-behind-the-ears brats here?"

A scoffing sound was heard.

Rustle- Rustle-

With the sound of footsteps treading on bushes, a woman with red hair and red eyes appeared.

"A demon?"

Chen Shia frowned, sensing the aura the woman exuded.

"She's no ordinary demon, human girl."

Eljenie, the Queen of Blood, curled the corners of her mouth.

"I am Eljenie, the Queen of Blood, a Legion Commander of the great Tartarus."

Chen Shia and Eiran flinched at the sudden appearance of such a formidable figure.

"What brings a Legion Commander here?"

Leo asked with an expressionless face.

"There's no reason to tell you, but hmph. I'll tell you this much, that I came here by the King of the Dead's command."

Eljenie said with a scoff.

The reason for mentioning the King of the Dead's name was simple.

The King of the Dead.

That name had the power to strike fear into opponents just by being mentioned.

It was to instill even greater fear into the hero candidates who were already experiencing extreme terror due to her presence.

The Queen of Blood intended to kill the three after instilling extreme terror in them.

"King of the Dead."

Leo curled the corners of his mouth.

"If he sent a demon as powerful as a Legion Commander all the way here… is he looking for Luna's tomb?"

"How do you know that, you scoundrel?"

Eljenie's expression changed dramatically.

And at that moment.

Leo's eyes flashed.

The formidable killing intent radiating from Leo's body made the surroundings tremble.

Chen Shia's face turned pale.

Chen Shia, who had a contract with water spirits, felt the spirits flee in terror.

Eiran's lips trembled violently.

Primal killing intent.

It vanished at some point.

"From the moment a demon came here, I never intended to kill them gently anyway."

Leo was smiling.

"If your objective is Luna's tomb, then I'll have to pay even more attention."

'What is this human?'

Eljenie's face was painted with terror.

It wasn't merely creepy or fearful.

As she was called the Queen of Blood, she was a Legion Commander with the ability to control blood.

And the moment her red eyes met Leo's.

Even she felt a suffocating smell of blood.

'The smell of demon blood.'

She was overwhelmed just by meeting his gaze.

Her instincts were telling her.

That the human before her had massacred an unimaginable number of demons.

The moment Eljenie, seeing Leo looking at her with the eyes of a butcher, instinctively decided to run away.

Slash-!

"Kyaaaaaaaah!"

Leo was slicing Eljenie's neck with his sword.